Our True Freedom from the Law (Torah)—Part 4
The Law Has More Than One Function
Introduction
In my previous article, Our True Freedom from the Law – Part 3, we discovered what a Biblical worldview of the Law looks like. A Biblical worldview of the Law is the only viewpoint we should have, and it’s developed by simply reading and believing the words of the Tanakh. When we do that, our viewpoint of the Law will be the same as that shared by all the saints in the Tanakh. I’ve summarized that paradigm here as the first foundation for understanding the true meanings of Paul’s statements suggesting we are no longer under the Law.
Foundations for Understanding the True Meanings of Paul’s
Statements Suggesting We Are No Longer Under the Law
I. The Law (Torah) is Good and Perfect—The Law is Adonai’s good, perfect, holy and eternal written revelation, given as a blessing and a heritage to the nation of Israel. It was originally written on stone tablets as part of the Mosaic covenant, whose primary message teaches us to love Adonai with all our heart, mind, body, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, and whose primary purpose is to be a source of life, blessing and goodness to His people. It was faithfully taught, lived and heralded by the apostles of Yeshua and is the basis of the New Covenant, which consists of Adonai’s Law written upon the hearts of His people.
With this as our first and primary foundation, we will not be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine meant to have us believe the Law is impotent, indifferent to your repentance, an unrelenting taskmaster, and a severe creditor, or that the Law curses you, shatters your soul, offers no grace, no mercy, no hope, and no forgiveness, destroys you and ultimately damns you.
The Law Has Many Functions
Our next task is to realize that the Law has many functions and/or purposes. It is not something that has one simple function, but it is multifaceted and complex. So as we study the Law and statements about the Law, it is very important to know which aspect, function, or purpose of the Law we are examining. In order to set the stage, let’s start off by mentioning what I call The Big Three.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! (Romans 6:14-15, NKJV)
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ . . . (Romans 7:4).
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:6).
These three statements by Paul have been used to teach us the Law was done away with. Let’s see how these compare with Matthew 5:17-20:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Besides the obvious fact that Yeshua’s words concerning the Law directly contradict Paul’s, did you notice one of the functions of the Law in what Yeshua said? He said obedience to the Law will determine your status in the kingdom to come. If you obey the Law and teach others to obey it, you will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. But, if you break the commandments of the Law of Moses and teach others to break them, then you will be least in the kingdom of heaven. In other words, can we say that one function of the Law is to help determine the status of those in the kingdom of heaven? Sure we can. But the Law has many other functions. Here are a few more. Please notice how each of these functions is separate and distinct from the other, yet together they paint a dynamic picture of various functions of the Law.[1]
One function of the Law is to reveal Adonai’s character. How would we understand such concepts as Adonai’s holiness, love for humanity, longsuffering, endless mercy, abundant grace, willingness to forgive, wisdom, wrath, etc., without the witness of the Law?
Exodus 3:2-5—And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire
from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” 4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is
holy ground.”Exodus 34:5-7—Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him
there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing
the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”Leviticus 10:3—And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.
Isaiah 6:1-5—In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
One function of the Law was to set Israel apart as a special nation. They were chosen to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to teach the nations about Adonai and His salvation.
Genesis 18:17-19—And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
Exodus 19:5-6—“ ‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Exodus 34:10—And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.”
One function of the Law was to teach Israel how to properly worship Adonai. The entire book of Leviticus is full of laws teaching Israel how to worship Him through animal sacrifice.
Leviticus 17:11-12—“ ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given
it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ 12 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’ ”Deuteronomy 12:1-4—“These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. 4 You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things.”
One function of the Law was to teach moral living.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8—“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.”
Leviticus 19:18—You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Exodus 20:1-18—The Ten Commandments
One function of the Law was to teach us about the person and work of the Messiah.
Luke 24:25-27—Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Matthew 12:38-40—Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
John 5:39-40 and 46—You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
One function of the Law was to protect the nation of Israel (corporately and individually) so Adonai’s plan of salvation for the world would come to fruition.
Galatians 3:19-20—What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
One function of the Law was to teach Israel how to live a life of personal holiness.
Leviticus 19:1—And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’ ”
As you can see, the Law has many different functions, some complementary and some very different from each other. For example, one of the functions of the Law is to teach us about the death, burial and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. It primarily does this by painting a picture of His death, burial and resurrection through the stories of individuals who are brought to death’s door, but are saved. Usually, we will see the number 3, 30, 300 or 3,000 in these stories. Classic passages of this nature include the dreams of the baker and cupbearer (Genesis 40), the binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), the birth of Moses (Exodus 2), and Jonah and the big fish (Jonah 1-2). The primary function of these stories is to teach us about Messiah Yeshua. On the other hand, other narratives in the Law function to teach us how to treat other people. The Ten Commandments are an example of this type of narrative. Hopefully, you can easily see the difference in function with the two examples I’ve given. But my main goal is for you to see the Law has different functions and/or purposes. Context tells you which function of the Law is being addressed.
The Primary Function of the Law
Although I mentioned a few functions of the Law above, I did not mention the primary function of it. Amazingly, the primary function of the Law of Moses is also the most often mentioned function of the law, yet I’d venture to say 90% of Adonai’s children don’t have a clue as to what it is. Not only is the primary function of the Law of Moses the most often mentioned function, it’s also the one that is most often explained so that we can understand it! Yet, this primary function seems to be lost in the minutiae in the Tanakh. But since it’s so important, I’m going to devote this entire section to its discovery.
The book of Genesis begins with Adonai creating the heavens and the earth. During the first five days of creation, Adonai created spaces and then filled them with animate and inanimate things, thus giving the earth shape and purpose. The pinnacle of creation was mankind, created on day six. He created Adam to be ruler over the entire creation and gave him authority over everything. Eve was created as a helper, fit for him and his responsibilities. Thus, on day seven, Adonai rested from creating, and all was very good. At this point, I’d like to step back, take a big picture look at what happened in those seven days.
Adam and Eve were uniquely created by Adonai.
Adam and Eve were a special people, Adonai’s own creation.
Adam and Eve were to bear His image in the earth.
Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful and multiply.
Adam and Eve were placed in a special land called the Garden of Eden.
Before their sin, Adam and Eve enjoyed unparalleled peace and tranquility with each other and with the beasts of the field.
Adonai walked within their midst, fellowshiping with them on a regular basis.
Adonai gave Adam and Eve one commandment to obey.
Adam and Eve sinned by breaking Adonai’s commandment.
Adam and Eve’s punishment was banishment from the Garden of Eden.
Cherubim with a flaming sword were stationed to prevent re-entry to the Garden of Eden.
Let’s focus on the commandment Adonai gave to His newly commissioned regent. Adam and Eve were told, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). At this point, I have a couple of questions for you to consider.
Do you think Adonai gave Adam and Eve the commandment in order to curse them?
Did Adonai give them a commandment that was impossible to keep?
Did Adonai give them the commandment to burden them in any way?
I don’t know about you, but I’d answer no to each of the questions above. Now, let me ask you another couple of questions.
What type of choice do you think Adonai wanted Adam and Eve to make with regards to the commandment He gave them?
What would have been the consequence had Adam and Eve made the correct choice?
Did Adonai want man to live forever?
I think Adonai wanted Adam and Eve to obey His command, not disobey. As for the consequence of making the correct choice, clearly Adam and Eve would have attained life forever! In other words, Adonai gave them the opportunity to live forever, and I think most people would agree that Adonai’s perfect will would have been for them to choose life. The only caveat is they would have a choice between life and death. The possibility of living forever could be secured by simple obedience to a simple command.
In answer to the third question above, I believe Adonai wanted man to live forever! The intended purpose of the Tree of Life was to enable man to live eternally. But again, man would need to choose to obey in order to secure life eternal. Thus, it is easy to see that obedience to the command would lead to LIFE!
At this point, I’d like to draw some prophetic parallels between Adam and Eve and the children of Israel. Please take note of the following thematic connections between them:
Adam and Eve were uniquely created by Adonai.
Israel was the only nation uniquely chosen by Adonai to be His people.
Isaiah 41:8-9—“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. 9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away:’ ”
Adam and Eve were a special people, Adonai’s own creation.
Adonai chose Israel to be a special nation.
Exodus 19:6— “ ‘And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Adam and Eve were to bear His image in the earth.
The nation of Israel was chosen to be Adonai’s witness to the nations.
Isaiah 42:6—I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will
hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.
Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful and multiply.
Adonai promised the children of Israel that He would multiply them in the Land.
Leviticus 26:9—For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.
Adam and Eve were placed in a special land called the Garden of Eden.
The children of Israel were given a special land called Canaan, which was renamed Israel.
Genesis 15:17-21—And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the LORD
made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Before their sin, Adam and Eve enjoyed unparalleled peace and tranquility with each other and with the beasts of the field.
Adonai promised Israel that they would live in peace with the surrounding nations as well as with the beasts of the field.
Leviticus 26:6-8—I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land. 7 You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.
Adonai walked within their midst, fellowshiping with them on a regular basis.
Adonai promised Israel He would dwell in their midst.
Leviticus 26:12—I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
Adonai gave Adam and Eve one commandment to obey as part of their covenant relationship. Obedience would lead to life, and disobedience would lead to death.
Adonai gave Israel the Law of Moses to obey as part of their covenant relationship. Obedience to the Law would lead to life, and disobedience would lead to death.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20—“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD
swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Adam and Eve sinned by breaking Adonai’s commandment.
Israel sinned by breaking Adonai’s commandments.
Judges 2:20-22—Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, 21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”
Adam and Eve’s punishment was exile from the Garden of Eden.
Israel’s ultimate punishment for breaking the covenant would be exile from the land of Israel.
Leviticus 26:32-35—I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. 34 Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.
Cherubim with a flaming sword were stationed to prevent re-entry to the Garden of Eden.
Adonai promised He would bring the sword of the nations against Israel after banishing them from the land.
Leviticus 26:33—I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.
What are we to make of these amazing parallels? I suggest the following. The Tanakh is a prophetic document and many of the stories in the Tanakh have prophetic significance. Isaiah tells us to, “9 Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’ ” (Isaiah 46:9-10). Thus, it appears the story of Adam and Eve is an occurrence of Adonai telling the end from the beginning, where Adam and Eve are evidently prophetic pictures of the nation of Israel. In other words, when we read the story of Adam and Eve, their failure, and punishment, we’re also getting a glimpse of the future history of Israel and how they too will fall into sin and suffer judgment.
Knowing that Adam and Eve’s story thematically parallels that of Israel so closely, we can rest assured their story is intended to provide prophetic parallels to Israel’s future, enabling us to apply what we learned from their lives to the nation of Israel. You’ll notice that some of the verses I quoted above with respect to Israel were taken from Leviticus 26. Please take a moment to read Leviticus 26 and discover what life would have been like had Israel been faithful to the covenant and walked in obedience to the Law of Moses.
Trees yielding fruit as in the Garden of Eden
Harvests lasting multiple years
Peace, tranquility and no wars with neighboring nations
Freedom from beasts of the field
Victory over all enemies
An abundance of children
Adonai dwelling within their midst
Wow . . . what a picture of . . . LIFE! In other words, obedience to Adonai’s commandments would bring life! Looked at another way, we can say the Laws of the Mosaic covenant were a conduit for LIFE. Similar to Adam and Eve, who would have lived forever, the children of Israel would have enjoyed an abundance of life, like no other nation on earth.
Hopefully, you see the point I’m getting at. I can confidently state that one of the purposes for the Law of Moses was to ensure life—abundant life for the Israelites. The Mosaic Law was an avenue to attain and ensure physical life in all its fulness. But I’ll take this a step further and state that the primary purpose for the Law of Moses was to ensure life, abundant life for those who kept it. Just as Adam and Eve could have secured life everlasting by obeying their one commandment, so likewise, Israel could have secured an abundant physical life by obeying the Law of Moses. Now, let me prove to you that this is the primary function of the Law.
Moses’ Summary of the Law
The book of Deuteronomy is a series of four speeches given by Moses to the children of Israel as they camped on the plains of Moab, poised to cross the Jordan, enter the land and conquer the Canaanites. These speeches were given to encourage the people to move forward in faith. I believe Moses was obsessed with one primary goal as he gave this speech—he was encouraging Israel to realize that obedience to the Law of Moses was a sure route leading to life and blessing.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane by reviewing Moses’ speeches to see if we can decipher a common theme. First, let’s look at Deuteronomy 4:1-4:
Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you.
This is one of the first places Moses tries to teach Israel that the primary function of the Law is to ensure life. Notice the reason for listening to the statutes and judgments, that you may live! This is the first of many times you’ll see this phrase or something similar to it. This principle, that obedience to the Law of Moses leads to life, is mentioned so many times in the book of Deuteronomy it should be axiomatic. After mentioning this function of the Law, Moses immediately followed it up with an object lesson to prove the point. He reminded them of the incident of Baal Peor, where those who disobeyed Adonai’s commandments died, but those who obeyed, “are alive today, every one of you.” How’s that for an object lesson to drive home the point?
A few verses later (Deuteronomy 5:32-33), Moses again mentions the primary function of the Law.
Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.
This time, besides telling them to obey the commandments “that you may live,” Moses adds another phrase to emphasize this beautiful function of the Law, “that you may prolong your days in the land.” Again, the point is very clear—obedience to the Law of Moses ensures you will attain physical life. The promise is that you will literally prolong your days in the land by being obedient to Adonai’s commandments. And isn’t that the will of our heavenly Father, that we would live a long life and fulfill our days? Yes, it most certainly is. Are you beginning to see that ensuring life is the primary function of the Law? This function of the Law of Moses is mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:24, “And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day,” again, emphasizing Adonai’s will of long life for His beloved people.
One of the most wonderful passages explaining this function of the Law is found in Deuteronomy 8:1-3:
Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
This passage in Deuteronomy 8:1 begins by stating the primary function of the Law, “that you may live,” but this time adds the phrase, “and multiply.” As you can see, by adding the phrase, “and multiply,” the Scripture is emphasizing the idea of life. In other words, not only will you live, but you will also bring forth life in others. But the beauty of this passage is augmented even further when Moses emphasizes the life-imparting ability of obedience to the Law in one of the most widely known verses in the Bible, Deuteronomy 8:3, “man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD”! I think you get the point I’m making. Moses is trying desperately to get the people to know, understand, believe and act upon this particular function of the Law—its purpose in ensuring life to those who obey its dictates. He makes a similar statement in Deuteronomy 16:20, “You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”
Deuteronomy 30 is part of the fourth and final speech Moses gave to Israel on the plains of Moab. In this closing speech he desired to summarize the most important message he had endeavored to deliver to Israel. He does so in Deuteronomy 30:15-20:
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD
swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Notice how Moses mentions the primary function of the Law in Deuteronomy 30:16. Then he sums up the matter in Deuteronomy 30:19, warning Israel that their obedience to the Law is a matter of life and death. In other words, whether or not Israel obeyed the Law of Moses would determine whether or not they experienced life or death. Sounds similar to another story we’re familiar with, doesn’t it? This is the same situation that faced Adam and Eve. And I can confidently state that Adonai wanted Adam and Eve to choose life, and He wanted Israel to choose life. Both Adam and Eve and Israel were able to choose life by choosing obedience. But as you know, they both failed in their task and the results were cataclysmically disastrous! Nonetheless, the story of Adam and Eve and the story of Israel both confirm that the primary function of the Law is to impart life to those who obey.
The Primary Function of the Law as Seen in the Psalms
The idea that obedience to Adonai ensures physical life is taught throughout the entire Bible. For example, the psalmist of Psalm 119 knew obedience to the Law brought life. Listen to his testimony!
Psalm 119:50—This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.
Psalm 119:93—I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life.
Psalm 119:116—Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
Psalm 119:25—My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word.
Psalm 119:40—Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness.
Psalm 119:156—Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; revive me according to Your judgments.
Allusions to the Primary Function of the Law
The Bible often correlates Adonai’s Law with physical food. Why does it do this? Because Adonai wants us to see that keeping His commandments is just as important as eating the food necessary for LIFE. The message? His commandments bring life. We’ve already seen this in Deuteronomy 8:3, “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” Another passage with similar intent is Job 23:12, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.”
The fifth commandment is Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” And how do children honor their mother and father? By obeying them. Therefore, obedience leads to long days upon the land! The point here is that this principle, the principle that obedience leads to life, is ubiquitous and even found in commandments besides those given by Adonai. When mothers and fathers give commandments to their children and when the children obey, they are yet another witness to the principle that obedience leads to life. This is in the heart of Adonai just as much as it’s within the heart of parents. Why do we give our children commandments to keep? So that they are able to live a long life and not die prematurely due to bad lifestyle choices. Our heavenly Father has the same motivation for us as His children, even more so. That’s why the primary purpose/function of the Law is to ensure life to those who obey His commandments.
Paul Reiterates the Primary Function of the Law
The apostle Paul knew the primary function of the Law of Moses was to ensure life. Notice what Paul said in Romans 7:10:
And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.
Wow! Exactly what we’ve learned! Paul is agreeing with Moses. The primary function of the Law is to bring life, not eternal life, but physical life and abundant life and living! Hopefully, you agree with me that this primary function of the Law is everywhere in the Bible.
The Most Important Passage in the Tanakh Teaching Us the Primary Function of the Law
At this point, I’d like to summarize what you’ve learned by showing you where the Law of Moses unequivocally and unambiguously states that the primary function of the Law is to bring/ensure/attain life. The most important verse in the Bible teaching this concept is somewhat obscure. It’s only one verse long, but it will speak volumes to you. It is Leviticus 18:5:
You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. (NKJV)
As you can see, this verse is very short. Furthermore, its real intent is not easy to understand because of the typical translation of the Hebrew. What does it mean, “which if a man does, he shall live by them”? This translation is pretty wooden, and I think its translation in most Bibles is a travesty because I’m not convinced the translators understand the primary function of the Law as you’ve learned it here. For years I had no idea what this verse meant until I learned 1) the primary function of the Law, and 2) how to translate the Hebrew myself. Here are some other translations of this verse.
Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD. (NIV)
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. (KJV)
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. (ESV)
So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them; I am the LORD. (NASB)
The phrase “he shall live by them” is a translation based on the Hebrew verb chayay. This verb is in the Qal stem and can mean to live, to have life, to continue in life, remain alive, to sustain life, to live on or upon, or to live (prosperously), depending on the context! What makes this translation difficult is two-fold, pertaining to how to translate the Hebrew phrase וָחַי בָּהֶם.
How should we translate the perfect vav consecutive וָחַי, vachay (from the root חָיַי)?
How should we translate the word בָּהֶם, a combination of בָּ (in) הֶם (them)?
The verb can be translated variously as:
he shall live
he shall have life
he shall continue in life
he shall remain alive
he shall sustain life
he shall live on or upon
he shall live (prosperously)
As you can see, “he shall live,” is the translation you would get if you thought the verb chayay meant “to live” in the present context. Notice how this lines up perfectly with what we’ve learned that the primary function of the Law is. Therefore, I’m comfortable with the following possible translations of the verb וָחַי.
he shall have life
he shall continue in life
he shall remain alive
The next question is “How do we translate בָּהֶם?” As you can see from the sample translations above, the translators typically choose from two options. The KVJ translates בָּהֶם as “in them,” whereas all the other translations translate it as “by them.” The KJV is translating the preposition בָּ literally as “in,” but the other translations are translating בָּ as “by.”
So the question is, which is the better translation, in or by? In my estimation, neither is the best translation, because I think neither conveys the intent of the writer well. Let me give you a little background into the Hebrew for the phrase “by/in them.” The Hebrew is not literally “by them,” it is “in them.” Here’s where you need to know something else about Hebrew. Many of the phrases you see translated in your Bible are not literal translations. Why? Because Hebrew words have many meanings and nuances and can be used to communicate different intents. For example, the Hebrew preposition which is responsible for the “in” of “in them,” can take on more meanings than just “in”! Context determines how it should be translated. There are times when the context calls for a literal translation as “in.” However, the Hebrew preposition “in” sometimes means and can be translated as when, on, through, against, in spite of, with, by, for, because, of, some of, into, after, and/or every! The proper choice depends on context and is an issue of what is known as Hebrew syntax. Hebrew syntax refers to the way words are arranged to form sentences and clauses in the Hebrew language, and it can be complicated.
If you understand a theological concept, it will help you with the translation. For example, we’ve seen numerous examples of the primary function of the Law which clearly teach us that the Law’s primary purpose is to ensure that those who obey it live a long physical life. I believe the Hebrew of Leviticus 18:5 is communicating this fact perfectly, although the intent is mostly lost in the translation. Therefore, I would not translate בָּ as “in.” Hebrew syntax allows one to translate בָּ as by, which is the better choice by far. But, in my estimation, the translations don’t go far enough to convey the meaning intended by Moses. Sometimes, the preposition בָּ functions as an Instrumental .B or beth instrumenti, where it can indicate the means, instrument or mechanism by which something happens. This is clearly the case here. Moses is saying a person can have/attain/continue in/ensure life by keeping the commandments. In other words one can ensure life by means of keeping the commandments! My translation of Leviticus 18:5 would look like this:
You shall keep my statutes and my judgments, which, if a man performs them, he will ensure life by means of keeping them.
As you can see, this translation helps one to see that the mechanism by which one attains physical life is by means of keeping the commandments, exactly what Moses labored to teach us in the book of Deuteronomy. I added the word keeping simply to clarify what I believe is the writers intent. Other translations that do hit the mark are listed below:
If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD. (NLT)
You must obey only my laws, and you must carry them out in detail, for I am the Lord your God. If you obey them, you shall live. I am the Lord. (LB)
Obey them and you will live. I am the LORD. (CEV)
Keep My statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am Yahweh. (HCSB)
Keep ye my laws and dooms, which a man shall do, and he shall live in those; I am your LORD God. (Obey ye my laws and judgements, for those who follow them, shall have life; I am the Lord your God.) (WB)
Now, we have three foundational truths that will help us on our journey to discovering what Paul meant when he said we are free from the law.
Foundations for Understanding the True Meanings of Paul’s
Statements Suggesting We Are No Longer Under the Law
The Law is Good and Perfect—The Law is Adonai’s good, perfect, holy and eternal written revelation, given as a blessing and a heritage to the nation of Israel. It was originally written on stone tablets as part of the Mosaic covenant, whose primary message teaches us to love Adonai with all our heart, mind, body, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, and whose primary purpose is to be a source of life, blessing and goodness to His people. It was faithfully taught, lived and heralded by the apostles of Yeshua and is the basis of the New Covenant, which consists of Adonai’s Law written upon the hearts of His people.
The Law Has More Than One Function—The Law has many functions/roles/purposes, and the Scriptures specifically and carefully define these different roles/functions/ purposes. Context will determine the function/role/purpose of which the writer is speaking.
The Primary Function of the Law—The primary function of the Law is to ensure that those who faithfully obey its dictates live a long life on the earth.
[1] This list is not meant to be exhaustive.